APEngine was an online journal project produced by Animate Projects. A space for debate and discussion across the area of moving image practice from a range of perspectives and a place in which to encounter and engage with different creative and critical ideas.

APEngine launched at onedotzero‘s Adventures in Motion September 2009 and was Media Partner to AURORA 2009 in November. It was produced by Animate Projects – a UK-based, not-for-profit arts organisation, developing initiatives that explore the relationship between art and animation, and the place of animation and its concepts in contemporary art practice for exhibition in the gallery, cinema and online.

The project and online platform has been a huge success in accomplishing its initial aims. It has been home to some fantastic discussions on a range of topics around the animation and moving image sector. With over 500 posts in its 17 month duration, highlights include The Truth of Illusion – A critical insight into animation documentary and theory by Samantha Moore, A structure for Possible films by Ajay RS Hothi and Army of YouTube Rosemany Heather. APEngine received a steady 2,500 visitors per month and reached up to 6,000 visitors on particular months within its duration.

APEngine has been the platform for interesting conversation and engagement, highlighting posts include George Clark talks to Anjalika The Otolith Group and interviews with David Jacques and Kiron Hussain.

Further writers for APEngine have included the likes of Adam Pugh, Tim Shore, Edwin Rostron and John A Riley.

APEngine was the platform for the outcome films of the project Rough Machines an Animate Projects commission from open proposals for animators to produce new work. All films premiered on APEngine in November 2010 with great reception. The films have gone on to be included in offline exhibitions, festivals and biennials and are also available through iTunes.

APEngine as an online resource has also provided updates of relevant news, reviews, exhibition openings and opportunities around the area of animation and moving image.

All feature posts can be downloaded as a pdf and Animate Projects is proud to keep APEngine live online for use as an archive website.

Animate Projects would like to thank all writers, interviewees, artists and readers for producing content and engaging within this to create an interesting community around the sector of moving image and animation through the online journal of APEngine.

14 June 2011

As we’ve mentioned before, Arts Council England rejected our application to be one of its National Portfolio Organisations because it was decided that Animate Projects did not fit into a “balanced portfolio”. NPO status would have meant core support for three years from April 2012, and would have enabled us to produce around 50 new works and exhibited over 150 experimental works online.

We have since asked Arts Council England, through their ‘complaints’ procedure, about their understanding of our work and of animation as an artform. And we asked Alan Davey, their Chief Executive, about comments he made on The Guardian’s Culture Cuts blog - “Animation is included in the funding decisions we announced yesterday. Yes, it's right that there is no single body dedicated to this work but galleries we fund, and moving image companies such as Film London, Lux and Film and Video Umbrella cover animation as part of their work.”

We said we did not agree with this statement because it confuses animation as a technique with animation as a pervasive artform with a distinct and substantial community of practice. We also outlined how the organisations he cited don’t work with the broad range of people that Animate Projects work with, eg those who may have commercial practice, or work in the creative industries; people who call themselves animators or filmmakers or graphic designers or ceramicists, and who have a range of different histories, traditions, contexts, and practice, and who reach different audiences with their art.

We reminded Arts Council England that Animate Projects is the only cultural organisation of its kind in the world and of the messages of support we have received about the detrimental impact that their decision will have on an entire community of practice.

We asked where there would be support of animation through the Portfolio, and how “the best mix of organisations..in terms of artform” could exclude animation.

Alan said he stands by his comments, and assures us that, whilst Animate won't be an NPO, animation and animators “will have opportunities to be supported through national portfolio organisations...the work of all national portfolio organisations is still being negotiated and the full context will become clearer later in the year.”

At Animate Projects we are now focusing on delivering our 2011 exhibition programme - including the first Animate OPEN, and the forthcoming Digitalis Commissions, supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation - and pursuing alternatives to Arts Council support so that we can continue to champion experimental animation.

Thanks again to everyone who has expressed support and sent encouraging messages over the past few months.

9 June 2011

The deadline for submission is fast approaching – there’s one week left to apply, all entries must be sent by 10am Monday 20 June. It’s our first exhibition selected from an open call.

Animate OPEN Digitalis is for complete works by UK-based artists, animators and filmmakers, produced since January 2009. We are looking for works that - in a broad sense - explore, question, subvert or confound our expectations of art and the ‘digital’. Or which might be ‘anti’ the digital, emphasising the handmade, physically crafted. A Jury will select up to ten films for exhibition and there will be two cash prizes - one awarded by the Jury (£1000), and an Audience Prize (£300), open to a public vote. Each artist included in the exhibition will be paid a £100 fee.

19 May 2011

Animate Projects - the champion of experimental animation – announces a call for its first online exhibition to be selected from an open submission.The Animate OPEN is part of Digitalis, a strand of activities throughout 2011 that sets out to explore, question, subvert or confound our expectations of art and the ‘digital’. And that includes ‘anti-digital’ - handmade, physically crafted animation.

For the Animate OPEN, Animate Projects is looking for experimental works by UK based artists, animators and filmmakers. The selected films will be presented online at animateprojects.org, from July 2011, accompanied by interviews with the artists. The films will also be featured in the Digitalis publication and at Digitalis events later in the year. Gary Thomas, Director of Animate Projects says: “We hope that the inaugural Animate OPEN will prove to be a platform bursting with experiment, to inspire and provoke discussions around creativity and the digital. And we are looking forward to discovering some awe inspiring stuff.”

The Animate OPEN Jury will select up to ten films for exhibition and there will be two cash prizes - one awarded by the Jury (£1000), and an Audience prize (£300) voted for by visitors to the exhibition.